Our son just started on this program, but he is only 6. He is doing a modified version, so not as intense as normally recommend. It's my understanding that there are different levels to the program. I don't think they go up to high school though. The program is billed as a reading program, not a program to help CAPD. It's just a side effect. So I think if a child already knew how to read, they could still use the program for the auditory benefits. The program works kind of like a phonics program where it presents word sounds, sometimes with competing noise, and the child has to choose the rhyming sound or opposite sound.

I would ask your son's audiologist about it and see if it works for his age group.

Take care,
Bonnie

We have the younger version of Earobics. It cost $65. Don't buy Earobics off Amazon. They only sell them "used" and I bought one to save $20 and it was a pirated copy that came cracked and when I tried to get a refund no response (Amazon didnt' even help me). Here's where I ended up getting a good version: http://www.soundbytes.com  Level 2 it says is for 7-10 years of age. Level 3 must be for older than that. So surely there should be an Earobics that your on could do. I'd probably start with Level 2 even if it's easier because then he'll feel accomplished and moving to Level 3 will not be so hard. Make sure you choose the home version, which is less expensive than one used in clinics. We've been doing something different lately, but when our son did Earobics I noticed a difference. It's not as dramatic as FastForward, although the place where we get FastForward said if you did it as intensely you get similar results.

You might also check GameGoo by Earobics: http://earobics.com/gamegoo/index.html  I don't know how old the games go up to, but our audiologist suggested starting with that to build up computer-time attention. Then moving to Earobics 1/2 hour per day, then after 4-8 weeks, move onto FastForward. FastForward is normally administered 90 minutes, 5 days a week, for 9 weeks. It's a very intense program. So it might be better to build up to it.

HTH,
Bonnie

Well, I wanted to ask about FastForWord.  When we had our IEP meeting yesterday (it looks like we'll get a 504 instead, which is probably better anyway) they told us that this program is very regimented, very unflexible.  If your child progresses past the ability in the level, you have to finish the level anyway. Is this true?  They recommended Earobics, because it's a faster paced program which allows for more rapid movement through the levels.  They were concerned that kids get too bored on FastForWord being stuck on a level that's "childish" to them. 

I've seen copies of Earobics on Ebay, but just the 1st and 2nd steps.  I'm seriously considering buying one of those instead of the $65 one.  For one thing, I think our son would breeze his way through the level 2.  I wouldn't mind paying the full price for the level 3 one, because we think it would be well worth it.  But how many times can someone use the software?  I mean, do you have to register it to use it, and you only get so many uses out of it?  That's my biggest question.

Thanks for that info Bonnie.  They told us that FastForWord was a program he would have to do when he couldn't be interrupted, so he wouldn't be able to start that till January because of all the holidays and time off in the school year.  So when we have the meeting in 2 weeks for the 504 (they called today, and couldn't schedule it sooner due to scheduling conflicts on both our ends).  If I didn't have so many Dr appointments to take my mother in law to, this would have gotten done next week.  I don't have any reservations that he would do it, he's very good about doing whatever is asked of him, I just wanted to make sure that he could advance in his levels instead of being stuck in something that was too "babyish" for him.  Since he's 11, I think the program might be a bit too elementary for him when he starts. They also told us that it would take 90 minutes a day of classtime for it to be done.  I'm going to see if we can't do that immediately after school instead of taking him out of any classes.  He really needs his class time, we don't want to interrupt his schoolwork every day for this.  We'll have to work out something.  I appreciate you letting me know about this.


Diana

The most recent research regarding FFW is
"The efficacy of Fast ForWord Language intervention in school-age children with language impairment: a randomized controlled trial."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18230858
which I have included in my PubMed Plasticity research paper collection
http://delicious.com/dolfrog/pubmed_col … plasticity

best wishes

dolfrog